Wichita eagle., 1887-10-26
THE pRINCETON'S GUN.
HOW IT EXPLODED AND KILLED TWO
OF TYLER'S CABINET OFFICERS.
The Story as Told by Sailor on Board
the yessel-The Scene Upon Deck After
Work of Destruction.

| The Story as Told by . Sailor on Board
| the yessel-The Scene Upon Deck After
| the Peacemaker Had Carried Out It's
Work of Destruction.
| Charles r. Lawrence, sitting on his door
step the other night. his head enveloped In
| tightly drawn bandanna handkerchief and
| his knees and chin but q few inches apart,
rasped out the story OF the Princeton from a
throat hoarse with twenty years cough.
at was on Feb. %, 1S44,n said the old man.
"and I mind it well, for had a son born that
day. Capt. Stockton built the Princeton on
his own plan at the Philadelphia navy yard,
! and after she was launched / helped to rig
her. Then she snt round to Washington
and lay at the navy yard, in the Potomac.
When the 2Sth came she steamed down the
river, with the president, most of his cabinet
young John Tyler, a lot of senators and rep
resentatives, q dozen or two naval officers
|, and ever SO many ladies aboard, all the guests
Of Capt. Stockton. There was fddling and
flirting and dancing and champagne drinking
all the way down. Officers on shore were
mighty polite to the wives Of those that were
away in the Mediterranean or cruising with
the Asiatic squadron, and there was no end
Of fun among the young folks. The president
was merry, too, for Miss Gardner was aboard.
Her father was killed that day, but saw her
on the Princeton again when the vessel was
of the battery at New York She was Mrs.
Tyler then, the wife Of the president l saw
her again, q lorG time afterward, at John
Tyler's home, On the James river. The ex-
president showed me his children that day
and gave me thirteen gold dollars.
TIE EXPLOSION.
swell, they fired the Peacemaker twice on
the way down the river, and then everY-
body went below to dinner. There was plenty
Of champagne again and the president gave
the toast, The Princetons three guns-the
Oregon, the Peacemaker and Capt Stockton,
and the greatest of these is Stockton at /
last Secretary Gil,ner asked to have the
Peacemaker fired again, and some of the COM
pany followed Capt. Stockton on decl, to see
the piece Loaded. The president started up
with the rest, but turned back to hear his
son-in-law, Mr.. Waller, sing a song. Capt.
Stockton ordered Lieut.. Hunt to make ready
for firing. Old King was gunner and Barlow
was gunner's mate. They loadet the gun
with twenty-five pounds Of powder and q
212 pound shot She was so big that YOU !
could have crawled inside her and had plenty |
of room to spare. Capt. Stockton stood |
nearest the gun, and the cabinet officers,
some senator's and few ladies were not far |
away. The secretary of war walked OF be- |
fore the gun was fired. Capt. Stockton called |
out, Stand clear Of the gum and then she |
was fired. There was an awful explosion, q
cloud Of smoke and a loud scream from the
wounded. When the smoke cleared away
every one could see that the top of the gun
was blown off from trunnicns to breecb, and
two dozen people were lying on deck. Capt.
Stockton was hurt, but he jumped to his feet
and mounted the gun carriage to see tho
damage. There lay Col Gardner with both
legs and both arms gone, Mr.. Maxey with an
arm missing, Mr.. Gilmer with his skull
crushed, Dir. Upshur with one leg blown of,
Capt. Kennon with his watch blown clear
through his body, and still running, so they
said; the presidents servant, wounded SO that
he died soon after, and ever 6 many moro
hurt with pieces of the gun or shocked by the
conclusion. Senator Benton was hurt little
and scared good deal, and Senator Wood
bury's daughter had her pretty face splashed
with the blood of the injured One lady's
headdress was singed with hot piece of the
gun. Senator Phelps hat was blown off and
almost everybody on deck was knocked down.
"The ladies below deck didn't know what
had happened, and before they came up flags
and canvas were thrown over the dead bod
les. 4 senator said to the president, You've
lost two Of your cabinet and Mr. Tyler
burst right out crying. When the news
spread everybody rushed on deck Can't Ken
mons wife wouldn't be satisfied until she had
lifted the canvas and looked at her husbands
body Mrs Gilmer sat on deck with dry
eyes, moaning and saying it couldn't be true
that her husband was dead There was no
on the way back, except that
some of the sailors broke III and drank up
what was left Of the champagne One fellow,
they said, tried to steal kennon's watch after
t had gone through tho poor captains body
"After the accident the Princeton looked IS {
Z she'd been in action. There was blood and
bits Of flesh ell about the place where the gun ,
exploded; the bulwarlls were carried away;
the rigging was tangled, and one Of the yards
was cut clean through by big chunk OF the i
gun. that flew up and went half through the
Heck when it came down. That piece weighed
over 200 pounds, and there was more than (
1000 pounds Of metal blown off the gun. {
When we landed the dead bodies were taken
20 the White House. Capt. Stockton was E
lreadfully cut up about the accident rs the !
Princeton and her guns were bis pets The {
court of inquiry cleared him of blame, bat he
never got over it, even after he was made q
st. Georges DELI Cor. Phil
IL,